The emails for Mother’s Day have already been hitting my inbox for a couple of weeks now. “Do this for your mom,” “Shower your mom with love,” and “Make this Mother’s Day Something to Remember.”
It seems simple. It seems harmless and beautiful and sentimental and nothing short of wonderful. Who wouldn’t love the idea of a special day to honor mothers? That’s just sacrilege not to honor the woman who gave you life, right? Who doesn’t fantasize about waking up to hugs and kisses and gourmet breakfast in bed from their kids?
Actually, more people than you realize.
There are many people who dread the next week or so. On May 7th, they’d rather go into hiding than drive past the packed restaurants hosting Mother’s Day brunches or seeing the cars jammed in the local nursery to purchase a perfect orchid, lily, gardenia, or hydrangea.
Why?
Because Mother’s Day is painful for them.
Think about it:
- If your life-long dream to have a family was unfilled, how would you feel on Mother’s Day?
- If you were adopted, could the day potentially bring up bitter-sweet sentiments, thinking about a mother you don’t remember?
- If you had just lost your mother, would you be perky on Mother’s Day?
- If your mother had left behind more painful memories than pleasant memories, would you look forward to a day honoring Mom?
For the next couple of weeks, WomenManagingStress.com is going to share tips on Mother’s Day from this angle. This isn’t done as a way to disrespect the many mothers who have worked tirelessly to help show love for their children, but as a way to provide much needed support on topics that often don’t get addressed, let alone talking about it this time of year.